Growing followers with a Cause

I’m forever being asked ‘How do I Get More Followers’. Nobody likes my answer anymore.

When starring out in Instagram it was pretty easy to get a huge amount of followers – you could get about 500 a day – all real, all in your niche, all good genuine accounts.

Then Instagram became a serious tool for business – overnight apps were shut down, bots disabled, and a huge swathe of fakes were deleted (Instagram itself lost a few hundred thousand over night). The rules became more and more strict. Now the big accounts you see usually predate this stricter time.

So how do you get a big account?

You don’t – no more number chasing.

It’s got to the point where big numbers are sort of like driving a polka dot Ferrari. They’re nearly embarrassing! People have cottoned on that the big numbers can be slightly suspicious if not downright gaudy. The big account numbers serve a different purpose now. If you follow a football team, for instance, it’s a place where like minded people meet. But for your straight up – not in the lime light brand. How is it working?

First ) Stop thinking Instagram is CandyCrush. It’s not. It’s a social media not a game. So go “social”.

Get with the times. Align yourself to something you believe in as well as your own brand. So if you’re swimwear – why not something to do with ‘saving our seas’ or if your healthy living – ‘no plastic straws’, a mum’s group – align yourself with a charity or a children’s hospital. There’s a lot of people and causes out there. And people want to feel good, not just follow. Bonus, brands want those kind of people too.

However, people start running when I say this sort of floaty stuff. But it’s time to wake up. It’s so 1980’s to be all bucks and trump tower!

At the end of the day, it’s up to you. You can be all Wolf on Wallstreet on social media and see how you grow – you will, but just that bit harder.
Being genuine and showing what you care about … people want to know and that they want to follow. Real connection.

Try it, get behind something you personally care about and you’ll see your numbers rise. And you’ll feel better about the time you’re tap, tapping away!